Presidential Contenders Head to Iowa

The politician parade officially kicks off in the next couple of weeks, with seven different potential presidential candidates visiting the HawkEyeState.

Many around the state are asking, how early is too early to start winning Iowa supporters?

"Every caucus cycle they are coming earlier," said J. Ann Selzer, the president of a public research firm.

Selzer said getting to Iowa early is crucial, a strategy that worked well last caucus cycle for Rick Santorum.

"He spent the most days in Iowa the last time around, he visited all 99 counties, and In fact he won," Selzer said.

In a poll released this May, Selzer asked respondents to rank candidates considering a run for the Republican nomination, and she found some interesting results.

"There wasn't a clear front runner, and it said to me again the openness of Iowa, that they are willing to give candidates a shot. Come to our state, talk to us, answer our questions, we'll listen and then we will decide," Selzer said.

More and more potential candidates will be visiting in the coming weeks.

Drake Political Science Professor, Rachel Paine Caufield, said sometimes Iowans take this for granted.

“I think for people outside of the state, the presidential election is a long way away and it is a distant abstract thing, but in Iowa, it happens in our living rooms, it happens in our diners and it happens around the kitchen table,” Caufield said.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will arrive to campaign for Governor Branstad on Thursday. Texas Governor Rick Perry and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul have also scheduled visits in the coming days.

So, are the campaigns and fundraising really starting in July 2014?

“We just came off a fundraiser that was a record breaker,” said Darrell Kearney, finance director of the Polk County GOP.

Kearney said the action is just beginning, but these early visits should be taken at face value.

“It's way too early to make a decision about whether you're going to run or not, once the elections of 2014 are over, it's going to be like nascar, ladies and gentlemen, start your engines,” Kearney said.

This year, 12 potential Republican candidates and two Democratic hopefuls have made the trip out to Iowa.

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